"But of course you are intruding, invading another's land in the hopes of making it your own or even merely more like your own can be nothing but an intrusion, to use the mildest language one can." Suspiciously, Bran says, "If your goal was merely to explore, as you call it, why did you wait until you heard of an invasion and, at best, rode in on its shadow? What do you propose to do to prove your honest intentions, unlike the rest of the English?"
Hugh takes a step back. "Who said I want to make it my own, or change it at all? Anyway, I didn't wait, I just looked - am looking - to see what others are doing before acting. It appears that a war is brewing, based on the others I saw and based on your reaction to strangers. There's nothing dishonest about my intentions, but I don't feel a particular need to explain myself to you. I was curious about the music, then I introduced myself to the people I met, as best I could through the language barrier, just out of good manners, I like to meet new people."
He shrugs. "I'm not English, anyway. But I'm curious about you gentlemen. If you came to the forest of Broceliande, where I grew up, I'd have no authority to confront you as you have me. Are you agents of the local lord? Or of the local faerie king? I do intend to make the proper greeting, to the latter, once I find him."
"Bah! He comes with invaders and says his intentions are pure. After using their ships, he stays in town hoping to see what they will do, that he might follow in their footsteps... Not looking for the Faerie King, though I doubt there is just one. If you truly wish peace, leave this town. Head north to Vigil and tell them you wish to pay proper obeisance to the Faerie King. The Merinita there will either eat you or welcome you but at least you would not be showing that you throw your lot in with invaders. We are but simple folk here, but we have tradition. A tradition of fighting back against invaders, like yourself. You can not help us, you are bound by The Code. My Parens was once an invader but he came not with an army but with a letter requesting space to study, to learn the traditions of Hibernia. Learn of the bard's tales, the Coill Tri, Tuatha De Danam, and the rest. Learn the local language. Fit in. Not wander around town in the Robes of the three wise men... but with no gifts to give. In the Alps, one must prove they have vis to support them merely to visit. In Novgorod and The Rhine, one must gain the approval of the local covenants. Normandy, so I'm told, you swear fealty to one that is stronger, here you must prove your strength. Do you even know the word Cathach? Macgnimartha? How can you say you respect our customs when you don't even learn them."
"Maybe you could offer to teach him our ways, rather than seeking to drive him away? Not all who are coming have to be enemies." Ronan said as he stepped forward into the group, his height causing him to loom almost in-spite of himself. He had moved up slowly and observed before deciding to speak. "Many who came here came as invaders, like you said of your parens, if they had received this kind of welcome, would they still have bothered to try? You could at least give him the opportunity to show his true colors, though i suspect that will come soon enough on it's own."
"Do you not understand? His CODE! He can not help us and is a hindrance to us. We can not discuss our plans in front of him. His type wish to do away with the Macgnimartha as well as the tradition of the Cathach, they are here to change the laws of this tribunal, peaceful or not they mean Death for the Ordo Hibernia." Turning towards Hugh, "or you can take a side, I am sure those who know of our customs and how one might gain a vote in this tribunal are teaching those of you who don't know, you can go back to gain the instruction you supposedly seek rather than attempt to worm your way into our good graces."
Hugh listens to the tirade, with a blank expression.
"You're right, I don't know most of those words, or your traditions. Nobody in that town is teaching anyone anything, nor are they coming with friendly hearts and open minds. But you can find out for yourselves. And you will learn the hard that the Code protects far more than it limits. I wish you luck, dealing with them in the way you have dealt with me. The Tytalans will love you for it."
Hugh looks around.
"Vigil, is it? I will go there, then."
He walks off in whatever direction is left open by the people around him.
"Wait!" Bran says after the retreating Magus, "If you truly plan to go to Vigil and learn our customs I can direct you there, though it is a long journey."
[If he stops and waits:]
Bran gives him good directions taking him to Dublin then to Qui Sonant Pro Quieto, "Where they will even grant you an Aegis token for your nights of hospitality." Then North to Vigil, "The farthest north point of Ireland. But, like I said I would recommend traveling more inconspicuously than in this blue robe with a squirrel on your shoulder."
Hugh stops, turns and listens to the directions. Then he frowns in confusion. "Why do you hate my robe so much?"
âThey are just so... conspicuous. Not knowing the language is conspicuous enough you donât have to tell everyone youâre a GREAT AND MIGHTY WIZARD!â
"Even here where the folk are more, familiar, with the mystic, those robes do stand out. Something simpler would probably be for the best. And Qui Sonant Pro Quieto is a good place to start if you do truly wish to learn, if nothing else you will discover just how different things are here. Not all of us are so, afraid, of new blood. The Order as a whole was once in this same place and an accord was made. I am hopeful that such an accord can be found once more."
«Good luck, and safe journey to you,» says Arnar sincerely as the foreign magus takes his leave. When he is out of earshot, he says, «what an odd approach, wandering off from the rest of his force like that.» He pauses. «Come to think of it, what an odd way for us to meet. » He looks around. Has he met Ronan before?
"It's better to be clearly a wizard than to be mistaken for mundane. Being taken for an ordinary mundane person can lead to trouble. The Gift means you will never fit in, and they will never trust you. It's better to be clearly something other, rather than an ordinary peasant, but one they don't trust. Fear can be dangerous, but it is also a form of protection." Hugh shrugs again, and gives a half-wave, turns and walks away. As he walks, the squirrel hops off his shoulder, running up into a tree, and he hunches over, growing, changing, gradually shifting into the form of a large bear, which walks off in the direction of Dublin.
"The situation as a whole was odd," Sionnach agreed. "And I was hoping he would give us an opening into the ranks of the English. On that topic..." he said turning to Arnar. "I had no luck on my search, it seems they've all been gathering at a single inn run by an Englishman."
«Are the English really just staying in town? What's there for them? A lacuna or something?» Arnar pauses, «I was thinking, maybe, we could try to deter them with some bad weather when they leave town, and if someone has specialised in Herbam, maybe some obstructing forest too. Anyway, I want to check if our new aquaintance really heads North. Shall we meet in the camp, Sionnach?»
If this is all agreed, Arnar runs off to change, and then flies out to see what Hugh does.
Bran is silent at Ronan's mention of afraid but when Hugh is out of earshot says, "I am not afraid of new blood, Do you think a Saracen would believe a similar story from someone who traveled on a boat with Crusaders? Like I said, my Parens was trained in the East but he came alone and with proper respect to learn the traditions of Hibernia, not among a force explicitly setting out to take our wealth and our traditions from us."
To Arnar, "It is not that strange, songs and stories are often used as signals for the resistance. Hiding messages and signs in plain sight, as it were. The Songs of Qui Sonant were the best I could come up with for creating a sign that you all would notice as linked to the Order but might be below the notice of the English."
"I would like to raid them. I had planned to recruit dockworkers to quietly place some of their boxes on a cart I would hire but that did not work out. I was too eager and the dockworker I approached thought I was an English spy trying to provoke him into doing something that would have the law come down on his head. I am sure some among the English know enough of the laws of Hibernia to know they must defend the Cathach for a year before their covenant can be recognized and so brought a suitable item. If we could steal what they brought to use as a Cathach we might use it ourselves to form a new covenant."
"I'd be glad to help with the raid, but I don't think I'd be of much use," Sionnach said to Bran before turning to Arnar. "That sounds good. If you want to track him from the air, I can carry our stuff." As he turns towards their base camp, he looks back to the other two and speaks again in Gaelic, "If we ever cross paths again, l'd be up for messing with the English."
«I am up for a raid, if we can find a good approach, but I would like to see this first Englishman off first. Can we meet somewhere later, Bran?» Arnar asks before he runs. «Do you have a room in town?» Arnar tries to make an agreement quickly, so as not to miss Hugh.
"Stealing their Cathach would indeed make for an epic tale. Maybe even something to share with my brother when he comes back around. Alas, I am not much for stealth, but once it is found, i can certainly heft nearly anything. As for you comment about the crusaders, not all of those that traveled went there with the intent to conquer, if we treat them all as foes, they have no reason to see us as anything but either. We should let them prove their ill intent before assuming it. BUt i have been told i have, somewhat, soft hearted. This could perhaps be that as well."
"Yes, I do have a room in town. I've been paying for it with my songs and poems. It's at the [insert name] Inn."
Assuming that Hugh does indeed go to Dublin, how far does Anar follow him?